Run Free
by The High-Fiving Chimp
Summary: After being rejected by the people she was supposed to trust the most, Sapphire turns her back on everything and goes back to the wild. She wants to be alone but after a few years things begin to go wrong and the very person she's been trying to avoid turns up. Will she be able to choose between her love or her freedom? Rating may chance!


**Hey, all! Since DoN is finished I thought I should just dive straight into my next project! Just so people know, most of this story revolves around Sapphire and it's from her point of view but I will bring Ruby into it later. So let's get going! Also, Sapphire is wearing an outfit that looks like the one she wore when she first met Ruby in the manga.**

I open my azure eyes again, but I cannot tell how long they had been closed for. It is hard to figure out. I can see that the cave is still dark with no sign of light shining through the cracks in the boulder which blocks the entrance. I must still be night, I decide. But I check anyway. I throw off my leafy cover –which I also use for camouflage- and take a quick look. Yes, I'm right. The moon casts onto the snow covered branches and grass below and the sky is black, like someone pulled a curtain over the blue. Everything was still. I notice that it has stopped snowing and the wind has died down. It could not be winter for much longer… I hope anyway.

I look over to Toro, slumped against the back next to the dormant fire, her beak on her chest and her shoulders rising and dropping slowly. Next to her, Rono lies on his front, snoring. I sit against the boulder and pick up a bough and start picking at and eating the leaves on it. As I chew on them, I look to the pile of branches that I had picked this one from. All of them had been stripped from their leaves except for one more. I then look to the pile of berries. Well, it would be a pile if there was more than three left. They were now old and inedible. I let out a sigh and finish off the leaves on that bough before throwing it into the pile. They'd make good firewood.

At the start of winter, I had roughly thirty berries and twenty boughs. Sounds like a lot I know but I have to get through the whole winter on those. I wasn't willing to make the same mistake I made on my first winter and under-prepare. I only had a few berries to live on and I'm thankful that I didn't actually starve. I almost did. This place is different to the forests surrounding Littleroot. There, I used to be able to go out into the snow and cold with just my camouflage for warmth. But this place is very different. During the other three seasons its fine to go out and I'd even spend nights outside but winter was completely different. The temperature drops dramatically and even my cover doesn't help. So you could say that I go into a hibernation like state. I'd spend all my time inside my cave either asleep or in a semi-sleep state, waking up every four days or so to drink from the small stream of water than runs through the back. I'd only eat one a fortnight or so, to save food. It would also give me a good indication as to how much time had gone by. I'd use a stone to make a mark on the wall which would help me keep track.

After eating, I crawl to the cave wall with the marks on them and use a stone to make another one before I count how many there are. Twenty. I let out a little sigh. Winter cannot be much longer then.

After a quick drink from the stream, I settle back under my camouflage cover. It's surprisingly warm under it, ya know. Even though it doesn't help with the freezing temperature outside. I eventually drop back off to sleep. But I didn't know when I was going to wake up next.

After a dreamless sleep, I open my eyes back up. Inside the cave, I see Toro is up and taking a drink from the stream. The Blazikin sits back down and starts preening her feathers, which were quite grimy and unkempt but she doesn't seem to be overly bothered about it, so I don't either. Well I know someone who would be annoyed- but I'm getting off track.

I notice some light leaking through the cracks in the boulder. Toro looks at me, so does Rono. Unlike me, these two can stand the cold. It makes sense since Toro is a fire type I guess. The pair often leave the cave and it can sometimes be days before they come back but I don't mind. If they want to go out themselves, that's cool.

I push the boulder out of the way for them and Rono stalks into the forest, kicking snow out of his way as he went. As he goes, I look around. It is now day and the sky is cloudless with just the sun out. I can hear Pokemon further off. Many of them appear to be waking up from their winter sleep and coming out. I can also smell that the wind has changed direction and that there were now some berries that are in bloom just further off from my cave. It's still cold. But not as cold as before. I love this time of the year. Knowing that I made it through another winter and that it would be a long time until I had to endure it again.

Toro goes next. She jumps from the cave and immediately lopes off to find some berries. She eats Tomato berries during the winter and there used to be a pile of them where she sleeps. I don't touch them because… well, I'd like to keep my tongue.

Seeing them leave, I go back inside and grab the last bough I had and sit with my legs over the edge, watching the landscape in front of me. I'm looking at a pine forest with the trees white like they are sprinkled with icing sugar. The ground is covered with a layer of snow covered with a top layer of crisp frost. In the background, there are some mountains which, due to the sky, looked blue with white on the top with snow. It's stunning to look at, but to me it's even better in the spring when the snow is gone. It's also when Pokemon come out.

While I'm eating, I suddenly hear a thunder of hooves approaching. Looking down at the ground, I see a herd of Ponyta and Rapidash gallop by. All of them, especially the youngsters look alarmed and afraid. I look in the direction where they came from. Normally Rapidash ran from bigger Pokemon which wanted to eat them but I couldn't smell anything else except from the horse like Pokemon. But something had clearly scared them. I guess I should go and see what it was.

I grab my camouflage and throw it on. It covers everything except for my feet, hands, mouth and eyes and is easy to movie around in. I leap from the ledge, grabbing a vine with my right hand, which swings me around onto a tree. My nails and calloused hands make it easy to grab onto the bark and climb up quickly. I run along the branch and jump into another tree, a taller one. I run along the outstretching branch and launch into the tree –which is several meters away- next to it. Leaping through trees like this make me feel so liberated and free, I love it. And I missed doing this. I had been cooped up in that cave for too long, even though it allows me to survive, I guess.

Just when I am about to jump into another tree, I hear a Pokemon cry out from further off, I could tell that it was a Ponyta. That must have been what frightened the herd earlier. The trees in front of me are far too dense for me to leap through and there were no vines which I could have use. Growling in frustration, I hop down from the tree and onto the snowy ground. I start running towards the Ponyta since it sounded like it is in a lot if distress. After a few moments I drop onto all fours, which is much faster than running on two. This might actually be better than swinging through trees. I love feeling the wind in my face and just the feeling of real freedom.

After 'galloping' after a couple of moments, I see the Ponyta and I also immediately notice the steel trap clamped around its front right hoof!

I let out a yell of anger at whoever-the-hell set that damn thing. I'll give them what for!

But I have to think about the Ponyta. I get back down on all fours and approach the frightened younger slowly. The horse dances nervously on the spot when she sees me but calms down once she sees me messing with the trap, trying to free her. The fact that she can't pick up my human scent or know what I am under my cover probably comforted her, since she would probably assume I am another Pokemon.

Using my strength, I pull the trap apart with ease, breaking it in half in the process. Then I can get a good look at her hoof. She was shaking with her ears back and her nostrils flaring. Her poor little leg looked quite badly cut up and the bleeding stains the snow but no tendon or bone appeared to be damaged. She limps a little bit but nothing else. I stand up and look around, hoping to see who set this trap. Nothing. But just the fact that someone had intruded into –what I feel is- my territory made me mad. And not just that, but also set up a trap? A nudge on my arm brings me back to reality. The little Ponyta was nuzzling my arm, possibly in thanks. I give her a small clap on the top of her head. I guess that the herd that I saw before was her family and she'd want to go back to them. Just I turn around to walk back towards my cave when my left ear seems to shift a little at a noise. It sounds like a twig snapping. A scent comes to my nose and I sniff deeply. Another human?

*BANG*

I yell out and fall onto my front at the sudden sound. It's a_ gun_! A flock of Beautifly cry out and flee from another tree. The Ponyta screams and tries to run but struggles from her leg. Instinctively I grab the small horse and throw her over my shoulders. She's not big or heavy but even if she was I'd carry her.

*BANG*

I take off into a run, feeling something wiz past my back. The equine on my back lets out a scared cry which just encourages me to run faster, my heart pounding painfully against my ribcage. I had to get her away from that person! Why does the first person I see in seven years have to be a poacher!?

As the claps become quieter, I slow down and drop the Ponyta on the snow. I sit down, panting from the risen adrenaline. The pony Pokemon grazes contently on a patch of grass close to me, seemingly calmed down a lot faster than me. I lie on my back in the snow and stare at the sky. I shut my eyes for a moment and breathe deeply.

I found this place purely by accident. I wanted to get as far away from Littleroot, or any settlement for… reasons… Anyway, this place is so beautiful and peaceful that I find wonderful about it and made me want to reside here. But the other outstanding fact that made me want to stay is that this place is totally untouched by people and I don't want to be around people anymore… so this is perfect.

Well it was until an Arceus damned poacher found his way here! There is no way I'm going to let him –or any others that may be around- invade my _home_.

After giving the Ponyta back to its herd, I run back to where the trap was. But when I get there, it's gone. The only trace left were some muddy footprints, which were made from heavy boots. I bend down and sniff it a few times. I get a scent but it's faint and I'm sure that if I followed it, I would quickly lose it. I decide that right now these people weren't worth my time. But I'll keep watch for them. For seven years I wasn't sure if anyone else knew about this world. I don't want loads of people to turn up and ruin it. I mean, getting away from people was the whole reason I came here in the first place!

I shake these thoughts out of my head as I trudge through the forest, battling the snow with each step. Many Pokemon are out now and foraging for food. I notice a mother Ursaring with three new cubs, digging through a bush and reaping the rewards while the father keeps a tight vigil on the surrounding area. He thankfully doesn't pay attention to me and I can move along without being attacked. I then notice Toro perched on a rock, tucking into a tomato berry contently. She seems to be ignoring the group of amorous male Blaziken who all seemed interested in her. I don't know where Rono is. He often runs off with a group of Aggron and can be away up to a month before he comes back but he does always come back if I need him.

After checking on some of the Pokemon, I spend the rest of the day exploring the area. Nothing appears to have changed. Well, almost nothing. I occasionally come across a trap, similar to the one that I freed that Ponyta from. I'd immediately dismantle and throw them away off of a near-by ledge. I _never_ want to see these again!

A few hours later, I'm at the top of a mountain, sitting on a rock and looking around. This particular mountain is not the easiest to climb but, to me, it's all worth it because of the view. Up here you can see miles of plains, forests and distant mountains. There's a huge waterfall about seven miles from where I am and a basin between two mountains which leads to more wilderness. I look up at the sky, and it's full of lights. I've always loved stars and I'd spend nights outside of my cave and watch them for hours, sometimes until early morning. And seeing how I've spent the last months asleep I decide that now is one of those times. I remember how I would try to get Ruby to come star gazing with me but he- I'm losing track again.

I watch the stars, allowing the wind to blow back my hair, the fresh mountain scent in my nose. For me, this is what I would call paradise. Well, I'm sure some people would call bull on that. I know Ruby would- Gah!

But there's one thing that ruins the view for me. It always has. When I look to the right, I can clearly see the light pollution of a near-by city. I guess that is what it is due to the amount of light blocking the natural ones found in the sky. It bothers me greatly as it ruins what is a beautiful view. But it's something else about it that bugs me.

It makes me think. Think about possibly going back, back to everyone and everything I left behind. It's not something I want. I don't want to go back to all of that. I'm happy here. I'm happier here than I have been anywhere else. Even with the winter, may I add? I don't want to be taken from this place and I'm not letting anyone or anything do that.

I allow my legs to hang off of the ledge as I watch the Pokemon and the stars. I then think of the poacher which tried to trap the Ponyta and shoot me. He or she must have come from the city in the distance.

I'm keeping this place free of those things, or at least I'm trying to. I can just hope that this would be the only thing I have to deal with.

**Well, that's the first chapter done, what do you think? I'm thinking of calling it 'Run Free', how does that sound? Also, I'm trying to find a good cover so you don't need to look at my ugly profile picture so if anyone knows any good pictures, you mind letting me know? Well, see you in the next chapter!**


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